Why (and How) Great K-12 Leaders Prioritize Joy in Schools

Joy. It’s a feeling that we hope permeates throughout our school buildings, right? 

As education leaders, creating joyful environments and school cultures is one of our foundational goals. We know that much of what makes learning a journey—whether it’s the journeys of our students or the adults that surround them—is being able to explore the deepest questions about our world, getting to uncover talents and passions, and being able to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to achieve their goals. Joy makes all of that possible.

As education leaders, creating joyful environments and school cultures is one of our foundational goals. 

‍Author and education Gholdy Muhammad says it best when she says, “The purpose of school is not just to prepare students for state exams, college, and careers. We want so much more for them. We want joy for them. We want them to know themselves. School can be more purposeful and help prepare youth for the fullness of their lives.”

The great news is that school leaders like you can be one of the biggest catalysts for cultivating and prioritizing this kind of deep joy. It begins with building the same kind of joy within ourselves and using our joy reserves on the days it’s especially hard. Here are five ways the best school leaders lead with joy in their own lives, and how that quality of emotional intelligence can be transformational as a leader. 

They use realistic optimism to build trust

As a school leader, you know your behavior directly influences others. Our schools—and the situations within them—can be stressful places. Some situations are bound to get you down. There might be challenges that seem insurmountable. You’re human, after all!

Great leaders understand that while there are many parts of their job that are tough, they also have a front-row seat to many great things happening in schools. As this principal says, “I go out into my building and visit classrooms, see students in action, and chit-chat with teachers. I praise the good work I see in an authentic way, and also boost up my energy meter so I can go back to feeling positive and spreading positivity.” 

Great leaders understand that while there are many parts of their job that are tough, they also have a front-row seat to so many great things happening in schools.

This is also a good time to emphasize the difference between healthy positivity and engaging in toxic positivity. Positive leadership doesn’t mean you believe that people should maintain a positive mindset, no matter how dire or difficult a situation. It’s about responding to your environment and hosting meaningful conversations with open-mindedness, curiosity, and empathy rather than trying to control them. 

Author and educator Parker Palmer says, “Relational trust is built on movements of the human heart, such as empathy, commitment, compassion, patience, and positivity.” When you lead with optimism, it assists in building trust—and it becomes easier for you and your teams to create real change. 

‍They know “safe spaces” hold the key to belonging

Feelings of stress and anxiety often pull us away from joy. That’s why elementary school principal and author Salome Thomas-EL says that one of the most important actions school leaders can take is to establish predictable, consistent routines that fuel learning experiences.

He says this consistency is especially important for students. “A lot of students don’t have that in other areas of their lives…so one thing that we can absolutely give students is predictability and routine that they know they can rely on, and be that anchor they trust in.”

The adults in your building—specifically your teachers, leaders, and staff—are also craving consistency, albeit in a different way. They’re looking for a psychologically safe space—a respectful, inclusive school environment where they can be themselves, contribute ideas, and challenge the status quo without being rejected or embarrassed for being themselves. 

Great school leaders take extra steps to create these kinds of intentional spaces by prioritizing clarity and transparency with their teams, being open about learning from their mistakes, and getting vulnerable when they need help or don’t know the answer. 

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They encourage student voice as a form of empowerment

Student engagement is paramount to school success. When students are able to contribute to their school culture in an active, meaningful way—and when their ideas are discussed and included in the daily pulse of their schools—they become more engaged and learning becomes more joyful. Research studies show plenty of other positive effects, too. 

It’s more than engagement: as students learn from talented teachers, they have an opportunity to become agents of change. What begins with them sharing their perspective in class about something important to them may just empower and inspire them for life. 

Myron Long, New Leaders alum and executive director and founder of the Social Justice School in Washington, D.C., shares this sentiment. “What inspires me is when our young people say they can use their voice to make change,” Long says. “That gives me hope every day because I believe I’m seeing the faces of young people who are going to make this world more just.” 

When students are able to contribute to their school culture in an active, meaningful way—and when their ideas are discussed and included in the daily pulse of their schools—they become more engaged and learning becomes more joyful. 

While school and district leaders may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of elevating student voices in classrooms, they know there are countless opportunities to engage them in schoolwide conversations, especially those who have been historically underrepresented or under engaged. 

They work to center cultural identity and pride within their schools

54% of the students in our K-12 public schools identify as people of color. At the same time, only about a quarter of our nation’s teachers, 22% of our principals and eight percent of school superintendents identify as the same. 

This disparity between students and educators of color illuminates the need for culturally responsive leadership to ensure historically underserved and underestimated students feel pride in and affirmation of their own identities. When students see their cultural experiences reflected back to them at school, they feel like they belong. 

Great principals have a relentless focus on teaching and learning that’s rooted in being academically rigorous and culturally relevant—a pedagogy that uses students’ customs, experiences, and perspectives as tools for better classroom instruction. In practice, this might look like prioritizing a variety of course content, where materials and readings used in classrooms reflect the diversity of the students in your schools, as well as leveraging cultural references to make content and lessons come alive for students.

When we work to depict and celebrate the narratives that represent our students, their homes, and their communities through what we teach, we’re giving them constant reminders that their lives outside of school matter. There’s a lot of joy—and joyful learning—that can come from that sense of belonging. 

They celebrate and have fun, in and out of school

At our core, school leaders are problem solvers. We identify a problem, work to solve a problem, and repeat. In the midst of this repeatable process, pausing to celebrate our successes—and the success of our schools and teams—often gets left behind. 

Any leader who’s worn a school mascot outfit, given shout-outs during morning announcements, or danced during an all-school assembly knows there are many moments where you can simply showcase how much you enjoy your job.

Yet, it’s taking time for celebration that sets you and your team up to have even more of that success, and great school leaders take the time to share those joyful moments with their broader school community. They know that consistently showcasing your wins will make it so everyone will want to be part of what you’re building.

Sometimes, it’s not just about celebrating—it’s about plain having fun. Any leader who’s worn a school mascot outfit, given shout-outs during morning announcements, or danced during an all-school assembly knows there are many moments where you can simply showcase how much you enjoy your job.

And, you allow that sense of celebration and fun to spill over into your life outside of school. Whether it’s spending quality time with your family and friends, pursuing hobbies you love, or taking a well-deserved vacation, it’s these things that also fill your cup and make you the best leader you can be. Bonus points if you share a little bit of that life with your school!

Joy as a practice of resilience

Something to remember about joy in schools: it doesn’t mean that there aren’t hard times, or difficult circumstances. However, joy does have the power to help us transcend those circumstances—acting as an exercise in agency and a source of strength.

By embracing joy and proactively cultivating it, school leaders not only elevate their own emotional intelligence, but that of their collective school community. In addition to being a powerful and profound emotion, it’s also a form of emotional resilience—one that can help students and adults alike withstand challenging times. 

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